Chris Connor reviews the fourth episode of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 2…
After taking a back seat to other members of the crew for the past couple of episodes, the fourth episode of Strange New Worlds’ second season sees Captain Pike take on a more central role as the crew of the Enterprise continue their mission and explore the vastness of space.
The crew lands on a mysterious planet where Pike had led an expedition previously; the clever conceit of this episode is that too much exposure to the planet will cause rapid memory loss, stripping the Enterprise’s crew on the ground of their status and knowledge and making them fend for themselves in an almost childlike state.
This structure offers the cast an opportunity to strip their characters down and see what they’re like at their most vulnerable. Erica Ortegas is given a prominent role in trying to help resolve the situation and save the Enterprise’s crew. This is another thrilling episode that again shows the sheer variety of options at the shows disposal and its commitment to entertaining its audience. The central premise adds a sense of humour the past few episodes have understandably been lacking as we see the crew placed in an outlandish predicament.
After a few episodes that took a narrative detour, this is a welcome return to the story of the week structure of the opening season and indeed the original Star Trek but it shows that there is more to Strange New Worlds than simply exploration with this second season having pondered numerous ethical questions while maintaining its pacing and offering its ensemble more to do than in the first season.
Strange New Worlds continues to impress in its second season, showcasing all that fans love about Star Trek while introducing new scenarios for the Enterprise crew to encounter and allowing almost all the parts of its ensemble cast to have a moment in the spotlight. As the series hits its midway point, there has been a real variety in storytelling, perhaps at the expense of Captain Pike, but giving the wider cast an opportunity to shine and expand on their characters. With a crossover with Lower Decks to come, the rest of the season has a lot to live up to.
Chris Connor
